At 54 years old Alec Baldwin announced to the TV show “Extra” that his 28-year-old wife, Hilaria Baldwin, is expecting their first child. This is Baldwin’s second act at parenthood, as he is already dad to teenage daughter Ireland, a product of his first marriage with now ex wife Kim Basinger. She is also the daughter he famously referred to as “a rude, thoughtless, little pig.”
But here’s the thing- with age comes a wealth if years of experience, reflection and patience. The older we get, the more realize our own mortality’s and how precious and evanescent this gift of parenthood and life truly is. Age mellows us and makes us contemplate the kind of legacies we want to leave– and I’m confident, Alec’s second stab at parenthood is destined to NOT involve any mention of little piggies, other than those on his baby’s feet. Why? because OLDER DADS are cool, ready and so incredibly grateful for the chance to have this parenthood experience at a stage in their lives when they are finally ready to embrace it. Case in point: MY HUSBAND.
My husband waited until I sort of pushed him (just a smidge) after dating a mere four months to put a ring on it – as in my finger. He was 38, never married and had I not “suggested ” we get married. I’m convinced he would’ve been quite content to sail through several more years with nary a trip to Tiffany’s to scope out the princess cut I’d been hinting I wanted since our second date.
See, I knew pretty much from our first blind date, that he was the one. We ended up spending 10 hours together, talking (he talked A LOT back then), walking, eating (he remembers I had a very healthy appetite even on our first date) and yes there was a real chemistry.
Of course he was 15 years older than me, and I’m not sure he was as comfortable with the age difference as I was- but once I schooled him on my love of all things classic, like the fact that my very first crush was on Trapper John M.D. as opposed to Zach from Saved by the Bell, I think he began to feel a bit more comfortable with our union.
We had a whirlwind courtship- of course we lived together another year before we made it official, as in, no prenup so this marriage has got to work (in my husband’s words) but I think when my husband became a father to our daughter 10 years ago, is when I truly fell in love with him. It’s as if he spent his entire life gearing up for this rol, a man who when we met, I felt was uncomfortable around babies and kids, seemed to wear his daddy status like a glove and bask in all its glory.
He was the one who got up at night to do all the feedings, he’s the one that slathers these kids in sunscreen till they resemble little caspers, lovingly prepares their snacks each morning, cuts the crusts off every sandwich, will bike ride and play outdoors with them to their hearts content, and will essentially do everything short of chewing food and spitting it into their mouths (as a mama bird does for her little birdlings).
Sure he could technically be these kids grandfather. But I believe having all these years of life experience under his belt has made him so sure of how he wants to spend these next years; reveling in his role as a daddy. And to be perfectly honest, the grayer he gets, the sexier he is to me!
What’s your take on the older vs. younger dad debate…do you think older dads have more patience and maturity or does it really just boil down to personality and age has nothing to do with what kind of dad a man will make?
Such a sweet post, my friend. I hope that Alec Baldwin is as good of a daddy as your husband. 😉
I only have experience with my husband….and he was 25 when he became a dad. He has been a wonderful dad — young and old. Now, I’ll get to watch him as a young grandpa…and I’m excited about that!